Celebrating our seniors was truly a team effort in which all 33 of us were involved. The celebration started the night before our game with our 10 lovely freshmen secretly decorating our locker room (which took them five hours to complete!!) Then the sophomores handmade posters for each senior, while the juniors nervously practiced their public speaking skills for their speeches to be given at the banquet.

After the game we all headed over to Washington Duke Inn for our banquet. I know how much effort and work went into planning this event, so thank you to all the parents who organized the program, put the slide show together and yes, even choreographed their own dance. I think this banquet truly made us all realize just how much we’ll miss our seniors on and off the field next year.

Each of these incredible teammates have in their own unique ways provided all of us on this team with incredible leadership and coaching on the field, advice and counsel about the classroom and huge shoulders to lean on just to talk about life on and off the Duke campus. They are true role models for all of us, and they are living proof that our term “Duke Lax Love” is not just a saying; it’s a way of life. From how they honor Duke to how they approach the game of lacrosse to how much they have all sacrificed for the benefit of our team, this class is special and I can’t think of a better way to honor them and their four years of work and dedication than with ACC and national championship titles.

So, from all of us on the team, our families, our coaches and friends and supporters of Duke women’s lacrosse, thank you to our senior class for all you have done, but most importantly let’s keep playing and make sure we are still here Memorial Day weekend with a new national championship ring.